Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Brother-in-law

Broth′er-in-lawˊ

Noun.

;

pl.

Brothers-in-law

The brother of one’s husband or wife; also, the husband of one's sister; sometimes, the husband of one's wife's sister.

Definition 2025

brother-in-law

See also: brother in law

English

Alternative forms

brother in law

Noun

brother-in-law ‎(plural brothers-in-law)

A male relative of one's generation, separated by one degree of marriage:
1. The brother of one's spouse.
2. The husband of one's sibling.
(uncommon) Co-brother-in-law: A male relative of one's generation, separated by two degrees of marriage:
1. The husband of the sibling of one's spouse.
2. The brother of the spouse of one's sibling.

Quotations

1597, William Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part I, act 1, sc. 3,

We at our own charge shall ransom straight

His brother-in-law, the foolish Mortimer;

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

one's husband's brother

Albanian: kunat (sq) m
Armenian: տագր (hy) ‎(tagr)
Aromanian: cumnat m
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azeri: qayın (az)
Bulgarian: девер (bg) m ‎(dever)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Chinese:

Cantonese: 大伯 ‎(daai⁶ baak³) (husband's older brother), 叔仔 ‎(suk¹ zai²) (husband's younger brother)

Mandarin: 大伯子 (zh) ‎(dàbǎizi) (husband's elder brother), 小叔子 (zh) ‎(xiǎoshūzi) (husband's younger brother)

Min Nan: 大伯 (zh-min-nan) ‎(tōa-peh) (husband's older brother), 阿叔仔 (zh-min-nan) ‎(a-chek-á) (husband's younger brother), 小叔 ‎(sió-chek) (husband's younger brother), 細叔, 细叔 ‎(sè-chek, sòe-chek) (husband's younger brother), 細叔仔, 细叔仔 ‎(sè-chek-á, sòe-chek-á) (husband's younger brother), 細漢叔仔, 细汉叔仔 ‎(sè-hàn-chek-á, sòe-hàn-chek-á) (husband's younger brother)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Dalmatian: comnut m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Erzya: парайде ‎(parajde) (younger), альне ‎(alʹne), какжаля ‎(kakžalja) (older)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: küdi (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Friulian: cugnât m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: მაზლი ‎(mazli)
German: Schwager (de) m
Greek: κουνιάδος (el) m ‎(kouniádos)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס (he) m ‎(gís), יָבָם (he) m ‎(yavám) (esp. if husband died childless)
Hindi: देवर (hi) ‎(devar) (younger brother), जेठ (hi) ‎(jeth) (older brother)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Irish: deartháir céile m
Italian: cognato (it)
Japanese: 義理の兄 ‎(ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 ‎(ぎけい, gikei) (husband's elder brother); 義理の弟 ‎(ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 ‎(ぎてい, gitei) (husband's younger brother); 義兄弟 ‎(ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (husband's elder and younger brothers); (お)義兄さん ‎((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (husband's elder brother) (colloquial); 小舅 ‎(こじゅうと, kojūto) (husband's elder or younger brother)
Korean: (elder) 시숙 (ko) ‎(媤叔, sisuk), 시아주버니 (ko) ‎(媤아주버니, siajubeoni), (younger) 시동생 (ko) ‎(媤同生, sidongsaeng)

Kurdish: tî (ku) m
Latgalian: dīvers
Latin: levir m
Latvian: dieveris (lv) m
Lithuanian: dieveris m
Macedonian: девер m ‎(dever)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Maori: taokete (of a male), autāne (of a female)
Norman: bieau-fréthe m0
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian: svoger (no) c
Occitan: conhat (oc), cunhat (oc) m
Persian: هیور ‎(hivar) (dialectal)
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers, dziewierz (pl) m pers (obsolete)
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: де́верь (ru) m ‎(déverʹ)
Sanskrit: देवर (sa) ‎(devara), देवृ (sa) ‎(devṛ)
Sardinian: connadu m, connatu m, connau m
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: девер m

Roman: dever (sh) m
Sicilian: cugnatu m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bratš cłowjeka m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: (literally) bayaw (tl) m
Taos: p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Turkish: kayın (tr)
Ukrainian: ді́вер (uk) m ‎(díver)
Urdu: دیور ‎(devar), جیٹھ ‎(jeth)
Venetian: cugnà m, cugnado m, cognà m, cognado m
Vietnamese: anh chồng, em chồng (vi)
Vilamovian: śwöger m

one's wife's brother

Albanian: kunat (sq) m
Armenian: աներձագ ‎(anerjag), աներորդի ‎(anerordi)
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Azeri: qayın (az)
Bulgarian: шурей (bg) m ‎(šurej)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Chinese:

Cantonese: 大舅 ‎(daai⁶ kau³) (wife's older brother), 舅仔 ‎(kau³ zai²) (wife's younger brother)

Mandarin: 內兄 (zh), 内兄 (zh) ‎(nèixiōng) (wife's older brother), 內弟 (zh), 内弟 (zh) ‎(nèidì) (wife's younger brother), 大舅子 (zh) ‎(dàjiùzi) (wife's older brother), 婦兄 (zh), 妇兄 (zh) ‎(fùxiōng) (wife's older brother), 小舅子 (zh) ‎(xiǎojiùzi) (wife's younger brother), 大舅 (zh) ‎(dàjiù) (wife's older brother), 小舅 ‎(xiǎojiù) (wife's younger brother), 婦弟 (zh), 妇弟 (zh) ‎(fùdì) (wife's younger brother)

Min Nan: 妻舅 ‎(chhe-kū), 舅仔 ‎(kū-á), 大舅 ‎(tōa-kū) (wife's older brother), 某舅 ‎(bó͘-kū), 妻舅仔 ‎(chhe-kū-á)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: nääl (et)
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: ცოლისძმა ‎(colisʒma)
German: Schwager (de) m
Greek: κουνιάδος (el) m ‎(kouniádos)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס (he) m ‎(gís)
Hindi: साला (hi) ‎(sālā)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Irish: deartháir céile m
Japanese: 義理の兄 ‎(ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 ‎(ぎけい, gikei) (wife's elder brother); 義理の弟 ‎(ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 ‎(ぎてい, gitei) (wife's younger brother); 義兄弟 ‎(ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (wife's elder and younger brothers); (お)義兄さん ‎((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (wife's elder brother) (colloquial); 小舅 ‎(こじゅうと, kojūto) (wife's elder or younger brother)
Korean: 처남 (ko) ‎(妻男, cheonam)

Latgalian: svaiņs
Latvian: svainis (lv) m
Lithuanian: svainis
Macedonian: шура m ‎(šura)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian: svoger (no) c
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Russian: шу́рин (ru) m ‎(šúrin)
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: шурак m, шура m

Roman: šurak (sh) m, šura (sh) m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: bratš žeński m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: (literally) bayaw (tl) m
Taos: mą̀kupòpóna (elder), p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Turkish: kayın (tr)
Ukrainian: шу́рин m ‎(šúryn)
Vietnamese: anh vợ, em vợ

one's sister's husband

Armenian: փեսա (hy) ‎(pʿesa), քեռայր (hy) ‎(kʿeṙayr)
Asturian: cuñáu (ast) m
Bulgarian: зет (bg) m ‎(zet)
Catalan: cunyat (ca) m
Chinese:

Cantonese: 姐夫 ‎(ze² fu¹) (older sister's husband), 妹夫 ‎(mui⁶ fu¹) (younger sister's husband)

Mandarin: 姐夫 (zh) ‎(jiěfu) (older sister's husband), 妹夫 (zh) ‎(mèifu) (younger sister's husband), 姊夫 (zh) ‎(zǐfū) (older sister's husband), 姊丈 (zh) ‎(zǐzhàng) (older sister's husband), 妹倩 (zh) ‎(mèiqiàn) (younger sister's husband), 妹婿 ‎(mèixù) (younger sister's husband), 妹丈 (zh) ‎(mèizhàng) (younger sister's husband)

Min Nan: 姊夫 ‎(chí-po͘, chí-hu) (older sister's husband), 姊丈 ‎(chí-tiǔⁿ) (older sister's husband), 妹婿 ‎(bēr-saì, bē-saì, maī-saì, mōe-saì) (younger sister's husband)
Czech: švagr (cs) m
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: õemees
Ewe: nyo
Finnish: lanko (fi)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Galician: cuñado m
Georgian: სიძე ‎(siʒe)
German: Schwager (de) m
Greek: γαμπρός (el) m ‎(gamprós)
Greenlandic: ningaaq
Hebrew: גִּיס (he) m ‎(gís)
Hindi: जीजा (hi) ‎(jījā)
Hungarian: sógor (hu)
Icelandic: mágur (is) m
Ido: bofratulo (io)
Irish: deartháir céile m
Japanese: 義理の兄 ‎(ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 ‎(ぎけい, gikei) (elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 ‎(ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 ‎(ぎてい, gitei) (younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 ‎(ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (elder or younger sister's husband); (お)義兄さん ‎((お)にいさん, (o-)niisan) (elder sister's husband) (colloquial)

Korean: 매부 (ko) ‎(妹夫, maebu, man's), 형부 (ko) ‎(兄夫, hyeongbu, woman's elder's), 제부 ‎(弟夫, jebu, woman's younger's)
Latvian: svainis (lv) m
Macedonian: зет m ‎(zet)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Navajo: hayé
Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Northern Sami: máhka
Norwegian: svoger (no) c
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: зять (ru) m ‎(zjatʹ)
Scots: guid-brither
Scottish Gaelic: bràthair-cèile m
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: зет m, свак m

Roman: zet (sh) m, svak (sh) m, šogor (sh) m
Slovene: svák (sl) m
Sorbian:
Lower Sorbian: sotśiny muski m, swak m (literary), šwogor m (colloquial)
Spanish: cuñado (es) m
Swedish: svåger (sv) c
Tagalog: siyaho (elder sister's husband)
Taos: mą̀kupòpóna (from younger sister's marriage), p’ǫ́yna (younger), pòpóna (older)
Turkish: enişte (tr)
Vietnamese: anh rể

one's husband's sister's husband

Armenian: փեսա (hy) ‎(pʿesa), բաջանաղ ‎(baǰanał)
Bulgarian: зет (bg) m ‎(zet)
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
French: beau-frère (fr) m
German: Schwippschwager (de) m
Hebrew: גִּיס (he) m ‎(gís)
Icelandic: svili (is) m
Japanese: 義理の兄 ‎(ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 ‎(ぎけい, gikei) (husband's elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 ‎(ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 ‎(ぎてい, gitei) (husband's younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 ‎(ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (husband's elder or younger sister's husband)
Korean: 시누 남편 ‎(媤누 男便, sinu nampyeon), 시매부 ‎(媤妹夫, simaebu)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar

Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: concunhado (pt) m, cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: зять (ru) m ‎(zjatʹ)
Scots: guid-brither
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: свак m

Roman: svak (sh) m
Spanish: concuñado (es) m
Turkish: elti (tr)

one's wife's sister's husband

Armenian: քենակալ (hy) ‎(kʿenakal), բաջանաղ ‎(baǰanał)
Azeri: bacanaq (az)
Bulgarian: баджанак (bg) m ‎(badžanak)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 姨夫 (zh) ‎(yífū), 襟兄 (zh) ‎(jīnxiōng) (wife's older sister's husband), 襟弟 (zh) ‎(jīndì) (wife's younger sister's husband)
Danish: svoger (da) c
Dutch: zwager (nl) m (Netherlands), schoonbroer (nl) m (Flanders)
Esperanto: bofrato (eo)
Estonian: kälimees
French: beau-frère (fr) m
Georgian: ქვისლი ‎(kvisli)
German: Schwippschwager (de) m
Hebrew: גִּיס (he) m ‎(gís)
Icelandic: svili (is) m
Japanese: 義理の兄 ‎(ぎりのあに, giri no ani), 義兄 ‎(ぎけい, gikei) (wife's elder sister's husband); 義理の弟 ‎(ぎりのおとうと, giri no otōto), 義弟 ‎(ぎてい, gitei) (wife's younger sister's husband); 義兄弟 ‎(ぎきょうだい, gikyōdai) (wife's elder or younger sister's husband)

Korean: 동서 (ko) ‎(同壻, dongseo)
Macedonian: баџанак m ‎(badžanak), баџо m ‎(badžo)
Malay: abang ipar (elder), adik ipar lelaki (younger), ipar lelaki, adik ipar (younger), ipar
Norman: bieau-fréthe m
Northern Sami: spile
Polish: szwagier (pl) m pers
Portuguese: concunhado (pt) m, cunhado (pt) m
Romanian: cumnat (ro) m
Russian: своя́к (ru) m ‎(svoják)
Scots: guid-brither
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: пашеног m, пашенац m, свак m, баџо m

Roman: pašenog (sh) m, pašanac (sh) m, svak (sh) m, badžo (sh) m
Spanish: concuñado (es) m
Turkish: bacanak (tr)

References

brother-in-law in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
“brother-in-law” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.
“brother-in-law” in Microsoft's Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition (2007)
"brother-in-law" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)

Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Brother-in-law

Broth′er-in-lawˊ

Definition 2025

brother-in-law

brother-in-law

English

Alternative forms

Noun

Quotations

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

References

Pronunciation

Similar Results